International Women’s Day: It All Matters | MANAAR SADIDA SHAHABUDDIN

Do you ever feel like you’re an insignificant feminist because all you’re doing right now is getting your education and you haven’t made an actual contribution towards the movement yet? Well, this is a thought that occurs to me every day, but we’re wrong. Probably not the first time we’ve been told we’re wrong, but it’s legit this time. How so? Every time we handle a situation like the bosses we are, we’re contributing. We are significant.

Every time your mom tells you that that top / dress is inappropriate and you still choose to rock it because you shouldn’t have to police what you wear due to other people’s low mentalities, you’re significant. Every time your brother / cousins make an ignorant comment about your body type and you shut that shit down, you’re significant. Every time a highly misinformed relative tells your parents that going abroad to study will spoil you and you tell them that their son didn’t need to go any further than his own bedroom in order to get “spoiled,” you’re significant. Every time your misogynistic male friend puts their heart and soul (I’m not making this up, some people are just sad) into trying to make you feel bad for identifying as a feminist and you just couldn’t care less, you’re significant. Every time your supposedly modern boyfriend is egotistical but also shit deep in his own insecurities about you so he tries to control you and you remind him who the hell he actually is (sometimes that doesn’t work – please dump him), you’re significant. Every time some guy – who clearly also has the wrong idea about whoever the hell he is – calls you a slut for doing the exact same thing he did and you delete his number (or some version of this on a dating app) even before he’s out of sight, you’re significant. Every time literally anyone gives you an opinion about your own self that you didn’t remotely ask for and you tell them to mind their own business (maybe not as politely), you’re significant. And last, but definitely not the least, every time you wake up in the morning and drag your highly caffeinated self to class to learn something that’ll help you achieve your career goals someday, you’re significant.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the great young women, alongside our grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and every other woman that inspires us to work harder. Never change your views and opinions no matter how unconventional they are because “society” honestly only is as much a part of your life as you make it. Those who mind won’t matter and those who matter won’t mind. You do you!